ah, ah, the u. s. a. nato deliver their written responses to moscow. security demands as fears grow of a russian invasion of ukraine. ah, and on a cloud, this is al jazeera, alive from their halls, are coming up, a da you and assessment the situation in afghanistan. a country where a key services of collapse and millions live in fair fall from home and frozen to the co. heavy snow makes life even more miserable from millions display syrians. a report said u. s. supreme court justice steven brought will retire, setting up a political showdown over hoot boot replacing

ah say the united states a native delivered to a written response to moscow security demands of ukraine in its they rejected russia's coal to permanently ban kia from joining the security lines the u. s. secretary of state says the letter lays out a clear that matic pa, from oscar. it's concerning. the west grows over a possible russian invasion of ukraine. rosen jordan reports from washington dc. on wednesday night, the u. s. ambassador to russia, john solomon hand delivered the american response to russia's demands for increased security guarantees. amid it's scanned off with the west over ukraine, the letter several pages long repeats. the biden administration's position u. s. troops go where they're wanted. individual countries decide whether they want to join, nato and russia must abandon any plants in ukraine. moscow says it has no

such plans. the documents with them and walls in their court. we'll see what we do, as i said repeatedly, whether they choose the path of diplomacy and dialogue, whether they decide to renew aggression against ukraine were prepared either way. good to see you again. but the u. s. also offered some proposals it thinks could reassure russian president vladimir potent and his government renette arms control, improved transparency on us engagement in ukraine, and changes to u. s. nato exercises and eastern europe. the russians received a similar note from nato leadership in a bid to head off a possible conflict and ukraine. we call our osha once again to immediately the escalate the situation. nato firmly believes that tensions on this agreements must be sold through dialogue on diplomacy. nato was offering to host

negotiations between the us and russia to resolve the crisis but stolen bird told reporters 5000 nato rapid response. troops can be called up in just a few days if needed. but washington and its european allies have stepped up deliveries of military aid to kill, including defensive weapons. unity among western nations though has not been complete. i'm for glad germany, notably hasn't provided any military aid to keep sensibly because of its reliance on oil and gas deliveries. from russia, the u. s. reportedly is trying to address those concerns. i'm absolutely confident in german solidarity in of being with ho together with us and other allies and partners in confronting renewed russian aggression against ukraine. meantime, the u. s. and russia are still locked in a spat over diplomatic thesis. 26 russian diplomats and their families left washington on wednesday because of what the russian ambassador called ongoing

harassment by american authorities. u. s. official say it's now up to moscow to respond to what the americans consider reasonable proposals to and the crisis. but they saying they're still ready to impose the harshest sanctions possible. if moscow orders its troops to invade ukraine. rosalind jordan al jazeera, the state department, would this be no immediate response from moscow to the u. s. a. nato, but earlier rushes for a minister warned of swift retaliation and less concessions are made. when that usually goes through, even though it's a constructive response, does not arrive and the west continues. it's aggressive course. moscow will, as president putin has said on more than one occasion, take the necessary retaliatory measures. so you just, there was to visit the security of russia and it citizens as an unconditional priority, and it will be reliably ensured in all circumstances of tens of thousands of crimean tartar have fled since russia next peninsula 8 years ago. and now many are

afraid. the conflict between russia and ukraine would force them to move again. tell stratford reports now from nova alex if sca in southern ukraine, my number volunteers load cold to give pension is struggling to stay warm and ukraine's brutal winter cold. the men of tartarus turkey, ethnic group who have lived in climate the centuries. tens of thousands left when russian troops illegally annexed the peninsula in 2014, a worried about increasing tension between ukraine and russia. rather than us that we especially worried about have women, children, and elderly. there is a war because we have nowhere to hate them. we try to provide for them and reassure them as much as we can because the men had delivered cold to 81 year old as ema, she, her family and an estimated $190000.00 soldiers were deported for crimea during stylings

purges of his opponents. and 944. put in customs i know. yeah. but i want to ask president, put in, why do you need to occupy this foreign land? how can you take over our land and tremendous like these shots, or put the wrong, 80 percent of this town? how production of you, ebara shell. there is no open animosity between awesome, but you can sense it. korea is just a few kilometers across the water. behind me now, since russia illegally annexed the peninsular in 2014, it's estimated that as many as 140000 ukrainians have left. many of them ethnic crimean starters who say they fled persecution in their ancestral land. in the market, no one would talk to his own camera about their support for russia. but this lady said she felt great affiliation in the country, language and culture. if people chose climbing to be part of russia, you said you live, then let them be. the mosque was built in 2002 for the tartar community on

side men gather for prayers. hussein talk lou says he will never accept a russian rule in crimea. what you see the c p c h. when russia antics crimea between 10 to 40000 tortoise fled because of political and religious pressure on the lack of freedom of speech and they left behind their homes and property. and i had to start life again on the summer. not only taught us, but all ukrainians live in perpetual uncertainty. everyone is talking about potential war. as ema says she isn't strong enough to visit family who still lives in crimea. and she fears for both ukrainians and russians. if a solution to the crisis between the 2 countries isn't found, tells me that out 0 novel, alexander fca, sub ukraine. the secretary general is warning life in afghanistan is becoming a frozen hel and tiny could tear. it says an ongoing humanitarian crisis has left

the country hanging by a thread with education, food availability, and other social services. on the brink of collapse. diplomatic, it's a james base reports now from the un. with more than half of the afghan population suffering from all the un calls extreme levels of hunger, the secretary general antonio terrace again sounded the alarm. 6 months after that they covered by the taliban. afghanistan is hanging by a threads for guns daily life has become a frozen hell one of the kind of stones best known women's rights campaigners who still lives in cobble came to new york to address the security council. after 20 years of tasting freedom working, studying, playing, sports, performing music, it has taken less than 6 months to completely dismantled the rights of the women

and girls across the country. her account was backed by the un, special representative inside afghanistan, debora law and said a number of women activists had recently been adopted and then had disappeared. she said this was part of a wider, deeply worrying pattern. and here on the ground, there is compelling evidence of an emerging environment of intimidation. and deterioration. and respect for human rights suggests that the consolidation of government authority may be leading toward control of the population by fear rather than by understanding and responding to its needs. the meeting was presented by norway's prime minister jonas ga stora, his government fluid taliban delegation for talks in oslo with international diplomats in afghan civil society. in recent days. in an interview for talk to al jazeera, he told me this was not meant to give the group legitimacy or recognition. to me,

it looks like this. if we don't sit down with them, present the expectation, the demands and what they have to deliver. afghanistan and going, it's going to sink down in that tremendous humanitarian. this all serve, most of us gonna, stones reserves remain frozen, but the un wants to change that without renewed liquidity. and the african economy, there's a risk. the da humanitarian situation becomes a country wide famine. on the other hand, some nations still worry about rewarding the taliban when the human rights situation in particular, the treatment of women seems to be getting worse. not better. james bayes al jazeera of the united nations kind of forces in northern syria say they've regained control of a prison following a week long assault by ice will fighters are on 200 inmates and 27. curtis factors were killed in iceland, attempt to free their comrades battle for 45000 people from the homes and the city of hatha car. charity saved childrens has some of those being detained in the

prison. we used as human shields. the un special envoy for syria, again, patterson says he's worried about the resurgence of ice. he says it needs to be international cooperation to avoid disaster. if we continue to see that the political crisis is here, is not sorted out. if we continue to see a division of territory like we are saying, no difference, how far it is with the economy collapsing with more than 14000000 people in neither human. it's erin the systems and costa that are people living in the northeast, living in northwest living and the government control. and we sort of in no hope for the future this, this is a recipe for continued this off them. syrian refugees in the countries northwest repealing for urgent help as the region is hit by freezing weather. around a quarter 1000000 refugees have been effected by snow heavy rain and low temperatures. as

a bank has this a city of tents. this is life for around 250000 syrians force from their homes by the civil war. and now after 10 years of continued conflict, snow and rain is their latest enemy result. so a lot of the very cold weather, the massive volume snow and the bad condition of the camp have led to the tents, damages everywhere. we ask allah and we urge those who are willing to help do the best for us. we don't have firewood and there is no heating. we burned some shoes and clothes just to offer some heat to the children and father, traveling to the area was already difficult. the snow has made it impossible. agencies are struggling to get access. 10 have collapsed under the weight of the snow. the few that do have shovels do what they can. the rest are left to move snow with their hands in freezing temperatures. ah,

the one al hobbies about the whole camp does not have bread. we call upon the humanitarian organisation and all the authorities concerned to urgently help the camp and its residence. the un says more needs to be done, but for the people here they need help. now a lot of other things. yeah, i would think the whole camp is in real danger and we don't know what to do. we have spent the last 7 to 8 years, intense and displaced caps. they can't find us flat. the camps are inadequate. at the best of times. the snow is only adding to the misery, keeps people face as that bag. i'll just there is still a head here and out 0 cleaning up before the water returns. we meet some of the indonesian families with no option but to live in the path of persistent floods. and why it seems like these in south korea i set to become, to give the past ah

look forward to brighter skies. the weather sponsored my cattle airways by the window, strong weighs on his high, but there's still snow shells around just eastern side of the korean peninsula, on home shoe and hawkeye dough generated really by the cold air over the relatively warm sea temperature was about where we should be this rain that spreading through china will bring more snow with it and in house that's now as i could see, something like how for me to fall this general area a little bit later the season will hands forecast is typically one or 2 degrees. the average being 8, and it's like just know continuously through friday and saturday. be a bit of a shock. i suspect cause a few problems. and in the philippines, well, both north and south, you've got the risk of some flash welding from these in house showers, and the orange would suggest this potential circulations drifting north was to the south. jealousy may be on his waste tie, one, not necessarily on its way to vietnam, which looks quite fine at the moment. for the west,

mostly the story would be fine weather for india the moment just a scattering a shout in the cold way conditions and it was temperature below where they should be from barnowski up to new delhi and the hall with morning fall, sometimes persistent for i have to say noodle is forecast, has it for the next 3 days the cold wave eventually warms up all time you get to sunday, but the air quality still remains pretty poor. oh, the weather. sponsored by casara always a journey of personal discovery. my great grandfather, he was a slave of the li property al jazeera is james gannon, explores his family's legacy of slave ownership. now like my family's status and wealth has benefited from their choice translate people and america's debt to the black people to day some over. so stall, we even scale to speed drought because it's a broadly al jazeera correspondence, a moral debt.

lou ah, and again, what she out 0, remind about top stories to saw. and the united states and nato have delivered written responses to moscow security demands. but ukraine in them, they rejects rushes, called to permanently ban kia from joining the security alliance. the inspector general's his life in afghanistan has become a frozen hell until the terrorists warned. the humanitarian crisis has left the country hanging by a thread with education and other social services. on the brink of collapse, kurdish forces in northern syria, so they regained control of a prison, fuller weeklong, sold by iso fighters around 200 inmates and 27 coat. as fighters were killed in

isis, attempt to free their comrades, u. k prime minister pros, johnson has resisted calls to resign in parliament to wednesday. he's refused to comment on an internal investigation into whether his government held gatherings in breach of covert 19 rules. letting baba report these 5 has 5 and it's not leaving downing street now. the subject of a police investigation and hoping to persuade his party in parliament to move on from the parties in number 10. in truth, many people have already decided whether they believed maurice johnson over what's referred to as party gate. the latest twitched, including one loyal mp, claiming the prime minister had been ambushed with a birthday cake at a celebration in june 2020. in parliament, johnson was asked yet again about his assurance his last month that that be no parties. and that no coven, 19 rules had been broken. the minister of code says the ministers who knowingly mislead parliament will be expected to offer their resignation. does the prime

minister believe that applies to him? by mister, mister speaker, of course. but let me tell the house either. i think he is inviting you a question about an investigation, which is, you know, mister speaker, i can't a comment. johnson brushed off calls to resign. you saying he had important work to do. but top of his inbox will be the government report overseen by civil servant c gray, into a series of gatherings in downing street since the 1st lockdown in 2020. so can the prime minister confirmed that he will publish the full su cray report as he receives it? lisa, mister speaker, what i can tell him is that we've got to leave the report to the independent investigators. he knows, of course, when i receive it on course i will do exactly. i want, i said, as part of the report, police officers working here gave evidence that evidence led the metropolitan police to decide they would launch the road investigation into potential breaches

of coven laws. any one found guilty could receive a fine, but the mere fact, the prime minister could be interviewed as a suspect, as a layer of embarrassment to widespread public resentment. neetha the investigates and prove that he was her breaking the rule. then yes, definitely. he was making the rule because a lot of people are dying that time below following it strictly was definitely against the spirit of what we've all trying to do as a nation. and yet, if he's broken the law thing, my speculation mounted about how many conservative m p 's might soon be sending in letters to trigger a no confidence voted. johnson's leadership. the foreign secretary was wearily defending her boss on national television and a 100 percent supportive of the prime minister. he has done a great job and whether it's delivering practice, whether it's the response the pandemic. there's no doubt the shines. come off or is johnson's image is a man of the people, but it's his colleagues,

not the public having to decide right now whether he can come back from this or whether he's become too much of a liability. the dean barber al jazeera us media report say supreme court justice steven bryan is set to retire at the end of the court. current term prior is one of 3 remaining liberal justices. in the conservative majority court. the 83 year olds retirement will give us president joe biden, his 1st chance to nominate a new judge to the country's highest judicial body. how did your catherine reports? supreme court justice stephen briar had long rejected viewing the high court through a political lens. at 1st, dismissing calls from democrats to step down so that a president of their own party may name a replacement if the public sees judges as politicians and robes. its confidence in the courts and in the rule of law itself can only diminish. diminishing the court's power, including its power to act as a check or other bridge. born in 1938 in san francisco right, grew up in

a middle class jewish family. he said his upbringing helped develop the pragmatism that later shaped his legal views. i stephen drive, you solemnly swear. he was a federal appeals court judge for 14 years before president bill clinton nominated him to the supreme court in 1994. every judge's particular obligation is to deal fairly and thoroughly with the legal problems of the individual parties before the court, whether they are poor or rich or helpless or powerful minority or majority. ryan joined the court's liberal wing consistently ruling in favor of abortion rights, environmental protection, and voting rights. he opposed to the strict textural interpretation of the u. s. constitution as endorsed by conservatives. but he believed in compromise and was a famous optimist. justice brier, i think, is a true technocrat in the best sense of the word he believes in

a good ideas, thoughtful compromises and intelligence and expertise running the world. ah, and he has really tried to do that quite consistently in his time on the court. in his later years on the court ry are questioned, the legality of the death penalty and drafted one of the rulings of holding obamacare. his retirement now sets up a political battle to name a replacement. heidi joe castro al jazeera washington. the u. s. federal reserve says it will raise interest rates for the 1st time in 3 years. they were slashed to mit 0. the beginning of the pandemic interest rates were widely expected to stop moving up in march in an attempt to fight rides the inflation in the u. s. federal reserve chair that's your and pow says getting high inflation under control. it's vital to a strong job market versus so there are multiple forces which should be working over the course of the year for inflation to come down. we do realize that the

timing and pace of that or are highly uncertain and that inflation has persistent longer than we than we thought. and of course, we're prepared to use our tools to assure that higher inflation does not become entrenched. william black is a former federal regulator and professor of economics and law at the university of missouri, kansas city. and he has more and what the rate change will mean for the u. s. rates have been exceptionally low for decades from the great financial crisis. and then some disruptions in the money market to cause them to throw money at the problem. and there's no reason for that to continue because us unemployment has is now lower than before. the pandemic began. so a, there's no need to keep the low and be inflation because the supply chain

disruption has gone up in the united states through around 7 percent. so it's a good time to bubb b, trying to make sure there is no extra heat in the, on the monetary side, unlikely that it needs to go particularly high. and it's unlikely that it needs to persist very long. this is still a relatively short term problem. we expect much lower inflation next year, even if they didn't take these actions. so they'll probably have at least 2 near term up takes in the interest rate. and then they'll see whether they need a 3rd residence in northern indonesia trying to rebuild on to flooding earlier this months destroyed the homes while the 30000 people were displaced off. the heavy rain pummeled to region. jessica washington reports from ha,

lottie and her family have lived in this house in long village in northern a chain for 12 years. it used to belong to her grandmother, but floods have destroyed most of their possessions, including their wedding photos. they are trying to clean up with a can meet with you. hm. yeah. but when the flood stops, sometimes we have to leave at night canning our children get as like in my lap more than 30000 people across the northern r j were affected by floods. in early january, this was newly, was his home just a few weeks ago, almost completely submerged, and not for the 1st time. communities in north anti experience flooding every few months. the rain has finally stopped and flood waters have receded now as many tried to repair the damaged homes and salvage their possessions. there are also looking for answers. the persistent floods have ruined people's livelihoods. more

than half of the rice grown here was spoiled. got it. we're going to get my not onion and be what can we do? we can leave. this is our home environmental group, say, deforestation has made north of a vulnerable to flooding. as logging on higher ground means water runs downhill and into rivets much faster. millions of hectares have been cleared to make way for pommel plantations, and many trees have also been lost to illegal logging. that we have talked that he left. we still see plantations popping up using loop holes to acquire new land and hog authorities. not a say the situation will improve when a new reservoir is complete. get deborah went back down to laurel. we asked the government for a reservoir to contain the water. we can't stop people from cutting trees in the forest because that's how they are living with their license people here. so the government must do more to stop logging and help save vulnerable communities. when

we're done by god, we don't want the government to come here during floods and give us instant noodles and rice. we need them to think of solution. we're mumbo are only few people with some say they have lost hope. i have nothing. this man says that the water took everything from lynn, been exhausted and overwhelmed. these people? no, it's only a matter of time before their homes are flooded. once again, jessica washington out to sera archie south korea has announced plans to end bear farming. hundreds of so called moon bears kept in cages around the country because there bile and other body parts the used in traditional medicine for the government says that will become a crime within the next 4 years, alexia bryan, as us report, kept in tiny rusting cages. these there's only the 9 captivity. there is the essex black bears,

known as moon bears for their crescent shaped markings. the bile is used in traditional medicine, merely believe it can kill a range of ailments from hangers to cancer. but under a new plan agreed between being farmers, animal welfare groups, and the south korean government keeping caged bears is to become a crime oh, condemned. it runs out in me. the home today is a very precious day declaring an end to bear farming. every one here has a part to play. we'll have to work together to make sure that from january the 1st 2026, the term breeding bear will vanish. commercial be about farming began and south korea in the 1980s as a way for poor farmers to increase income welfare advocates have for the practice sang the bears live in misery. farmers to have pushed for change. al jazeera visited came, clung, so in 2013 he said the home grown thereby market had collapsed with south koreans

buying it for less from china or vietnam. he says, well, the plan is a good start. he's not sure it goes far enough home federal law and we'll have we have 4 more years until they'll take over the bears for years. as a long time, the government should provide some support and feeding the bears and maintaining facilities to make sure they're taken care of. about $360.00 days are in captivity and south korea. the we bought using civic funds and put in to care the environment ministers apologized for not acting sooner. personally, honestly, poor girl. he is having a bowman. i would like to ask everybody for their cooperation so that the bears will no longer leave their cages to have their bol extracted, but instead, to move to sanctuaries and live out the remainder of their days in a free and safe environment. the 1st of 2 centuries is set to open and 2024.

so these bear still have many long days and nights and cages before they 1st st. freedom. alixia brian al jazeera. ah, so this is on the 0. these are the top stories and the united states. nature have delivered written responses to moscow. security demands about ukraine. they rejected russians call to permanently banned kia from joining the security alliance . the document we've delivered includes concerns of the united states and our allies and partners about russia's actions that undermine security. a principle in pragmatic evaluation of the concerns that russia has raised and our own proposals for areas where we may be able to find common ground.